


Coming Back Around

by C3Conner



Series: Hell Raising, Love Finding [6]
Category: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Confessions, Fluff, M/M, Realization
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-03-27
Packaged: 2021-03-01 06:40:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23347081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/C3Conner/pseuds/C3Conner
Summary: Cloud finally gets got... Sort of.
Relationships: Reno/Cloud Strife, Tifa Lockhart/Rude
Series: Hell Raising, Love Finding [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1447888
Comments: 6
Kudos: 33





	Coming Back Around

**Author's Note:**

> I'm going to be working on other things with this pairing hopefully here soon. Feel free to scream at me on twitter @C3Conner.

It was a great day. 

A stolen kiss from his beau Cloud and a knowing that he, Reno of the fucking Turks, had provided something for his man to enjoy during the day. Yeah, he liked the sound of that. He liked it a whole Hel of a lot. Never thought he would manage to snag a catch like that. Cloud deserved to be treated softly, but adored roughly. Reno was devoted to the chase of the almost Solider and lusted for every moment together. 

The heavy steel door swung open in the Seventh Heaven and the love-struck fool bee-lined to the gleaming counter where Rude was clearing the plates of departed customers. Waves and grins were exchanged between the two of them acknowledging not only each but the glows about them. The reformed men were both comfortable. Did either ever think it would happen to them? No, Reno hadn’t that it was possible to be this… content. 

His muscular friend leaned across the bar steadily wiping down a coffee mug and teased “You look pleased with yourself. How’s it going?” It. The hunt and wooing of the resident mopey asshole out back. “It’s goin’ pretty fuckin’ good,” he chirped pleased that his mission had been successful and an old woman gasped at his language as she hastened out the front door. 

There was nothing better than getting what he wanted and getting to savor it. He was savoring Cloud: his whole being and presence was aloe on a Costa burn. Nothing could take the smugness out of his eyes or grin, he had caught the Chocobo. He had kind of, he thought happily. 

Now, he would say hey to his big friend and then slip out. He had wanted more time with Cloud, but he couldn’t neglect his old work partner too much. Rude might get too soft. Especially with the way Tifa tended to cook. Something about coming from the mountains made the foods fatter and richer. He had brought it up once to Rude jokingly and been informed to not worry about how many calories he consumed because he was just fine. Reno had almost felt bad about spitting his beer all of Rude’s shirt, but hey too much info.

A white cup slid down the counter to his dominant hand and he snatched it up splashing milky coffee giving Tifa a careful glance. She had been cleaning somewhere in the back if the soft scent of pine and the red bandana keeping her hair back gave was anything to judge by. Which it was since Reno was many things, but not dumb. 

They had settled more of their issues a while over half a handle and complaints about the stupidity of people, specifically men. She had blinked owlishly at him that cool night a couple of weeks before Shivatide in Cosmo Canyon outside on Cid’s wooden porch. (The pissy mechanic had insisted everyone come to visit him and Shera for the holidays with the threat to come and snatch up every one of them if they tried to get out of it.) Somehow between the alcohol being poured VERY heavily (thanks to Yuffie) and Cloud mysteriously taking off into the night without a word as Rude had played dumb to Tifa over something stupid like how to do the dishes or when was too soon to say three simple words. They had bitched, they had moaned, they had even shed a few fucking tears. Not a lot on his part, just a few. His were just a few manly angry tears that someone could be so godsdamn hot, but so fucking stupid. They had actually passed out on the porch, according to everyone sometime around one in the morning. (They had asked Vincent since the man was usually too blunt to humor anyone. He had been, they had blacked right the fuck out.) In the light of midafternoon, they had grumbled into their cups and shook on a solemn truce to support each other during these difficult times. Let the past go and move on… 

Which is another way that the wooing of Cloud had been ramped up.

Taking a few short strides Tifa sauntered over to her lanky friend’s side and plopped down grinning right back at him. “He just texted me asking if there is such thing as platonic kissing,” she sing-songed loud enough to make her voice echo and setting his ears on fire. Reno gave a bark of a laugh too startled for clear thoughts for a second. How was this guy so fucking perfect but so fucking stupid?! “Ya fuckin’ shittin’ me?! Do I needta do it on the mouth with tongue next time?!” Tifa giggled hysterically setting off Rude and distantly Reno clocked that someone was heading out of the backroom. 

It was so subtle that he figured it out quickly that he was about to get a massive hug. Sure enough, Yuffie’s (unfortunately) muscular body shot out of the back door and his head was cuddled to a chest in seconds with the wind knocked out of him splayed halfway across the bar. The ex-Turk sighed absently mourning his fresh cup and limited edition Honeybee sweatshirt and listened to Tifa fuss about her clean bar. “Yuffie, sweetie, you can’t just grab people like that! Look at the mess you made. You will be cleaning that up, Rude had just done it.” The two women began to squabble leaving Rude to actually clean the mess. It didn’t seem to bother him too much according to the soft eyes locked on his lover’s form. Gross. Reno figured though he probably didn’t look much better. 

Just the thought of those muscular shoulders sent sparks up his spine. Rude’s hazel eyes cut to him at the movement and the brawler mumbled “I’ve only seen you ever get this crazy over one person and how ironic is that it is the same person.” It wasn’t a lie. He had wanted the scrawny kid trailing after their old friend Zack for a hot minute. He made it EXPLICITLY clear on what he wanted to do that kid to anyone and everyone willing to listen. That was until Zack had busted his lip and explained coolly that he was popping a boner for a minor. A younger and hornier him had shrugged at that only briefly confused since he was only a year older probably ? That had set an unpleasant line on Zack’s face and gotten his beer snatched out of his hands while Zack muttered about babies fucking babies. The ex-Turk had taken offense at the time, but he saw the point now… sort of.

Reno turned his mind back to the present thanking his friend softly for the fresh cup of coffee absently watching Tifa and Yuffie’s fight still wondering if either of them had realized the mess was already gone. No customers were left and each table had been cleaned thoroughly from the breakfast rush leaving a homey hush over the place. The hard wood tables glowed with the midmorning light shining through the tall windows and Reno wondered if he could sneak a cigarette without the observant bar owner catching him. It was a moment that he could definitely get used to.

Clang! The heavy metal door smashed into the wall causing the fighters present to slip into place and all eyes snapped to the newcomer. Sea green eyes cut to mako blue in confusion and Reno was half off his stool (his mag rod collapsing swiftly back into itself and the holster tucked securely into his jacket and he noted that the glass Rude had been holding was shattered) to check what the fuck was wrong with Cloud. 

A halo of brilliant white gold hair framed his pinked face and eyebrows were all the way up into his hairline giving him a very comical look of shock. Except it wasn’t. Cloud had looked this startled in Reno’s recent memory. Maybe when he got stabbed through the fucking chest again by Sephorith, but stab wounds weren’t something most people saw coming. So yeah, not great. Reno didn’t really charge at Cloud as so much rush to him. Cloud had been fine just five minutes ago, what the fuck had happened during the time that he had left? Knowing that startling Cloud any more was an awful idea which could possibly get him stabbed, the ex-Turk paused just a few meters back mouth half opened to ask what was up when Cloud blurted “Have you been fucking dating me?!” A heavy hush over the group and Reno couldn’t help it. 

He laughed.

“I asked if ya wanted to play, baby doll, when I shouldva asked ya on a date.”


End file.
